As infants progress through various stages of development, they commonly learn to turn sit and crawl at about the same time. This typically occurs at about 5 to 7 months of age. During this time they require frequent assistance from adults to avoid falling or toppling over with potentially injurious results. This need for assistance demands constant attention by the adult and precludes participation in other activities or even a moment of inattention without sacrificing some safety for the infant. This time intensive requirement has spurred the use of mechanical aids to support the infant. The most commonly used of these is a pillow or pillows to surround the infant, providing some support and softening the fall when the infant topples over. The use of pillows, however, confines the infant to one spot while providing minimal sitting assistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,916 (Jennings) discloses an inflatable cushion that surrounds the infant, grasping the infant with arms and supporting the infant in the same manner as if the infant were sitting in someone's lap. The device disclosed by Jennings securely holds an infant upright in one spot, allowing the infant to play or observe activities in the local area. Jennings does not, however, allow the infant to crawl or move about or to another location and then resume the sitting position. Thus, Jennings effectively anchors the infant in one location until the attendant adult intervenes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,937 (Mason et al.) discloses a ring-shaped device into which an infant is placed in a sitting position. The upright walls of the device support the infant and the ring structure surrounds the infant with soft resilient material to cushion the infant should he or she topple over. Mason, however, also anchors the infant at one location until the infant is moved by the attendant adult.
Another approach for supporting and confining children is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,554 (Harlick et al.). Harlick utilizes a chair to provide the supporting structure and restrains the child with ties. This approach again confines the child to one location and, further, may not be suitable for infants just learning to sit up.
Other supporting methods are disclosed in the art, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,680,917 (Harris) and 3,889,797 (Gunst) for example. Both Harris and Gunst utilize inflatable structures for use in sitting or reclining, but neither suggest nor teach how such devices may be appropriate for use by infants at the stage of learning to sit up.
Another approach to supporting infants is "Boppy" disclosed in a mail order catalog entitled the Right Start Catalog, dated February, 1991. Boppy is a crescent-shaped, pillow device in which an infant may be placed and is the subject of a pending patent application assigned to Camp Kazoo, Denver, Colo., 80209.
Boppy partially surrounds an infant with a supporting pillow higher at the back than at the sides and open at the front. This allows the infant to sit up and also to crawl out of the front should the infant be able to crawl. Boppy however, does not assist the infant in resuming a sitting position at another location unless an attendant adult relocates the device and assists the infant in resuming a sitting position. Boppy is neither attached to the infant nor easily transportable by an attending adult.